


Faithful Assistant

by BlueScanner



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-09-04 22:49:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16798600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueScanner/pseuds/BlueScanner
Summary: Nathalie Sancoeur believes she is plenty satisfied working for Gabriel Agreste in the fashion world as his assistant and in the world of superheroes as his villainous confidant while he attempts to bring his wife back.(Takes place after season 2 finale.)





	1. One

Nathalie Sancouer, assistant to the famous Gabriel Agreste, was typically the image of calm. The clicking of her heels was known to keep tempo in an otherwise chaotic environment. There were rare, isolated moments where Nathalie let her expression slip, revealing a slightly troubled twitch of her lip. On this particular day, on this particular moment, Nathalie was so troubled as to not only allow a twitch, but a nervous glance as well. 

She walked her usual path through the Agreste mansion, making her way to Gabriel Agreste’s office. In her arms she held a clipboard and folder containing all of the work she had done while taking her mandatory leave. She took a quick moment to restore her neutral expression as she stood before the grand doors. Once satisfied, she pushed the doors and stepped in, her eyes locking on to Gabriel. 

“Nathalie.” Gabriel looked up from his design tablet at the sound of the doors opening. He stepped down from his platform and walked towards Nathalie, his brows furrowed. “How are you doing now?” 

“I’m perfectly fine, Gabriel. I could have gone back to work straight away, I really didn’t need 3 days-” Nathalie said, clutching the clipboard against her chest. Gabriel’s eyes darted to her hands. 

“Perfectly fine?” He took one of her hands in his, examining it. “Your hands are shaking.” He shook his head, dropping her hand. “I knew I shouldn’t have let you come back yet.”

“Gabriel, it’s nothing.” Nathalie assured her boss, readjusting the clipboard. 

“You know what the peacock miraculous can do.” Gabriel rubbed the bridge of his nose. “You should be resting now.”

Nathalie contained a sigh, trying desperately to make him understand. “I only used it once. She... used it many, many more times than that.” Nathalie said, hesitant to mention her. 

“I don’t want it to happen twice.” Gabriel frowned. 

“I understand.” Nathalie said. “But you can not keep me from work much longer. There’s only so much I can do online.” Nathalie tipped her head towards her clipboard.

“I suppose since you’re already here there’s no use in sending you home.” Gabriel resigned. “However I’m ordering you to take it easy today, don’t do anything that requires you leaving the mansion.” 

“But Gabriel, you have a fashion show at 3 pm and I need to be there to represent you.” Nathalie protested. 

“I’ve requested an intern go in your place in the case that something like this were to happen.” Gabriel looked sternly at her. Nathalie stopped her shoulders from sagging at the thought of someone else taking her place as Gabriel’s assistant. She shook off the feeling, keeping herself professional as usual. Gabriel took note of the slight movement in Nathalie’s face and softened his eyes. 

“For both of our sakes, restrain yourself to desk work today.” He said, nodding his head to Nathalie. 

“Understood.” Nathalie said, turning around and walking out of Gabriel’s office and back into the foyer. She passed by the grand staircase, glancing up to the portrait with Gabriel and his son, Adrien dressed solemnly in black. The sorrowful expression painted over Adrien’s face brought Nathalie back to the time it was painted and the tragedy that had occurred shortly before. 

She paused, the conflicted emotions she had repressed bubbling back up, tightening her throat. Turning her head away, she rejected the memory from her mind and restored her formality, continuing through the foyer and up the stairs. She took the familiar turns to Adrien’s room and knocked lightly, waiting for a familiar “Come in” to sound out. She opened the door and stepped into the large, multi floor room. Quickly scanning the area, she locked onto Adrien who sat at his desk. She approached him, pulling a paper from her clipboard. 

“Nathalie!” Adrien smiled. “Are you feeling better? Father said you caught the flu. I was worried since you’ve been here pretty much every day for the past few years so it had to be pretty serious, right?”

Nathalie took a mental note of Gabriel’s chosen excuse before handing Adrien the paper. “I’m doing much better, thank you.” She nodded to the teenage boy before her. “Here is your photoshoot schedule for today and tomorrow.” 

Adrien scanned it over and frowned. “4 shoots tomorrow?”

“Unfortunately none of the photographers were able to reschedule for other days.” 

Adrien sighed. “Alright. Thank you, Nathalie.” 

Nathalie nodded her head. Her lips pursed as she caught sight of Adrien’s desktop background. His mother smiled into the camera, her blonde hair cascading past her shoulder. Nathalie turned on her heels and exited the room swiftly, clicking the door shut behind herself. She walked down the hallway and to her desk, taking her usual seat. She quickly adjusted her glasses before turning the computer on and typing in her password. 

As she began working, her mind drifted. Using the peacock miraculous was a last resort, and she fully understood the danger surrounding it. She had seen it take effect first hand, after all. However, despite this knowledge, Nathalie would do it again in a heartbeat. She would do just about anything to help Gabriel. Keeping him safe and as happy as a widower to an allegedly missing, publicly presumed dead, wife could be was Nathalie’s first priority. 

Well, that and doing her job. She had grown fantastic at hiding her emotions, keeping her composure in all but the most stressful situations. However, after the events of heroes’ day Nathalie found it more and more difficult to keep her feelings under control. Whether that was due to the damaged miraculous’ effect or due to her increasing desperation for Gabriel’s attention was still up for debate. 

Nathalie, for one, would argue for as long as she could keep her eyes open that it was from the miraculous. Recently she had been letting her not so recent feelings express themselves in the form of a comforting embrace, or lingering eye contact with her boss. It certainly didn’t help that he appeared to reciprocate. Returning her gazes, resting his hand upon hers in times of worry, caring for her wellbeing, et cetera, et cetera. She was well aware of Gabriel’s intended wish, who he wanted to bring back. Some may say her constant aide contradicts her increasing feelings towards Gabriel.

Most would say that bringing someone’s wife back isn’t the best way to woo them. But conflicting emotions lead way to conflicting actions. His wife, Emilie, could be considered a friend to Nathalie, perhaps even a close one. They weren’t the type to go to bars together or anything of the sort, however they would often share a dry joke at social events in the fashion world, and frequently enjoy a glass of wine late in the evening once Nathalie’s work was done. 

Therefore a large part of her wanted to bring Emilie back. To have her help maintain stability in the household, to have her keep Gabriel happy, to be good company. 

And so Nathalie helped Gabriel hatch plans to defeat Ladybug and Chat Noir. If not to bring Emilie back, then at the very least to see the glimmer of eagerness painted over Gabriel’s face while they spoke of an undefeatable plan. Seeing him genuinely happy was enough for her, and helped mask the pain of watching him lose over and over again, watching him lose hope, and watching her chance to bring her friend back vanish in an instant. 

Every day was bittersweet for Nathalie, and that definitely helped to keep her melancholic expression constant. Every loss meant Emilie was yet to return. Every loss meant Gabriel was still technically a single man.


	2. Two

Nathalie stood patiently in Gabriel’s office, her hands linked behind her back. She watched the hidden elevator with bated breath, already having watched the news coverage of Hawkmoth’s latest failed akuma attempt. It was only a matter of seconds before Gabriel was bound to appear, frustrated and annoyed. Nathalie had been back for 2 days now and had settled back into her rhythm as expected. 

Gabriel had held off on akumatizing anyone since heroes’ day, and seeing as this was his rather un-triumphant return, Nathalie felt it would be appropriate to step away from her desk to comfort her boss. She held her still form as the panel in the floor slid open, Gabriel rising from the ground. He had his eyes closed, his fingers rubbing the bridge of his nose. 

Nathalie waited for him to step off the pedestal and open his eyes. “Nathalie. I presume you’ve seen the latest news?”

“Yes, I did.” Nathalie sharply nodded her head. 

“Would you mind indulging me on your thoughts?” Gabriel slumped into a chair, his arms resting slackly on the armrests. Nathalie approached a nearby table, taking a tablet into her hands and taping in the passcode. She pulled open a video of the just finished battle and turned the tablet towards Gabriel.

“I’m curious as to why this girl was the akuma victim, what caused her fury?” Nathalie inquired, pausing the video on the akuma victim. 

Gabriel glanced over. “She had just been broken up with earlier that day, and then had to babysit for children who wouldn’t listen.” Gabriel tapped his fingers on the armrest. “She was upset that no one would listen to her and the world wouldn’t go her way.” 

“A good target.” Nathalie nodded her head. “But her powers didn’t work overly well against Ladybug and Chat Noir.” 

“Evidently so, Nathalie.”

“I mean that in the sense that they have fought akumas with similar powers to this girl. She could command people, just like Mayor Bourgeois.” Nathalie pulled open a news video of when Mayor Bourgeois had been akumatized. “My advice would be to focus on finding an akuma who has potential Ladybug and Chat Noir have yet to encounter.” Nathalie turned the tablet off before holding it at her side. 

Gabriel considered this. “It isn’t as easy as it sounds. People have common emotions that are easy targets. Finding unique akumas with powerful enough emotions isn’t so commonplace.”

“Gabriel, you are a powerful man. You have plenty of reach.”

“I appreciate the compliment, Nathalie, but I don’t see what that has to do with anything.” Gabriel glanced up to Nathalie, who had to suppress a blush and maintain a neutral expression. 

“What I meant was that you have the ability to make a powerful, new akuma. You’ve done it before with Ms. Bourgeois and the magician over television.” Nathalie said. “You need to find someone so different that they’ll have no way of predicting what they can do.”

“That could take a long time.” Gabriel said. “Even just organizing an event that could garner such people will take time in and of itself, let alone akumatizing the right person at said event.” 

“Quality over quantity. I think we learned that the hard way.” Nathalie cleaned a stack of papers beside her. 

“That could very well be our next large project.” Gabriel nodded his head. “Thank you for your input, Nathalie. You never cease to help.” He stood up from the chair and smiled to Nathalie. 

“I could look into charities that you could have a fashion show to fund raise for. If we choose the right one it would certainly attract the type of people we’re looking for.”

“That would be great. When you find one, come to me to detail it.” Gabriel said as he walked to his desk and took a seat. Nathalie took her cue to leave and silently left, making her way back to her desk. She sat down and shook her computer awake, beginning her charity search.   
_________________________________________________________

Gabriel skimmed over the paper handed to him by Nathalie, his eyebrows raised. “You were able to book this venue on such short notice?”

“I used connections. Typically the wait time would have been up to 3 months from now, however I talked it down to only a month.” Nathalie said. 

“Fantastic.” Gabriel nodded. “It seems to me you chose a good charity to attract this list.” He glanced over the list of high status names. 

“You’re fine with it being a gala, correct? I feel it will work better for negative interactions to take place over a fashion show.” Nathalie asked. 

“Yes, of course.” Gabriel said. “Do you have a concrete plan on making any number of them upset?”

“Not... precisely.” Nathalie frowned ever so slightly. “Fuelling rumours and making new ones is always an option, but it’s not a guarantee.”

“That is true.” Gabriel agreed. “If we invite conflicting persons and seat them together during a meal, it could spark the perfect conflict.”

“Absolutely. A prime set could be Mr. and Mrs. Brodeur alongside Mr. Brodeur’s mistress, Miss Mercier.” Nathalie suggested. “I could certainly dig up more information like that.” 

“That’s perfect Nathalie.” Gabriel smiled at Nathalie, who nodded back to him. Nathalie left Gabriel's office once again and returned to her desk. She would have to call in more favors and connections to get the information required, but it would be well worth it.


	3. Three

“...And now, I welcome to the stage Gabriel Agrete.” An announcer said, stepping away from centre stage to make way for Gabriel. Nathalie watched from her seat below, keeping her primary focus on the people surrounding her. 

“Thank you all for coming and donating to a fantastic cause.” Gabriel said into a microphone, looking down to all the formal guests. He wore an ornate suit and looked stunning as usual, at least in Nathalie’s eyes. “We will be doing the draw shortly after dinner, so please, enjoy yourselves.” Gabriel nodded his head to the crowd before walking off stage. Nathalie listened to the conversations starting up around her. 

She had specifically seated herself and Gabriel at a table in the middle of the ballroom with the most dramatic tables surrounding them. The less likely to cause an akuma, the further away it was. Gabriel sat down beside Nathalie, sharing greetings with their table mates. The most likely akuma victim sat beside Nathalie, Mrs. Lacie Brodeur. Beside Lacie was her notoriously unfaithful husband, Mr. Jacques Brodeur. Nathalie had already taken notice of the looks Jacques was giving the woman to his right who just so happened to be Miss Amy Mercier, otherwise known as his mistress. 

Of course, if asked about this particular seating plan, Nathalie would claim ignorance to the pretty relationship drama of socialites. Nathalie shifted the skirt of her dress. If it had been up to her, she would have worn a formal pant suit. But Gabriel insisted she wear one of his latest dress designs to fit in with the high fashion if she at any point needs to spark a disagreement. The necklace resting above her chest moved ever so slightly. So little in fact, that no one would notice the butterfly hovering within it if they took a second glance. 

“Gabriel, I have to say your latest ad campaign was very ambitious.” Mr. Brodeur said, tearing his eyes from Amy. 

“Thank you, Jacques. I had several interns run it past test groups to see how they respond...” Gabriel continued speaking of the ad campaign. Nathalie tuned out of the conversation, seeing as she knew all the information Gabriel shared. Instead her interest was kept on the two women. Mrs. Brodeur was seething silently into her wine glass, already having downed half of it. Miss Mercier had a smug expression painted over her face. There was a slight movement in her arm, shifting towards the leg of Mr. Brodeur. To Nathalie’s surprise, Mr. Brodeur kept his face neutral as he continued his conversation with Gabriel as if he didn’t have a woman’s hand crawling up his thigh. 

Nathalie tuned into the conversations at the tables around her which were abnormally pleasant. She couldn’t detect any hints of malicious intent in the words shared between the guests. She didn’t allow this to weigh on her too much as her table appeared to be working out ideally. Gabriel and Mr. Brodeur continued to talk as dinner was served. Nathalie took a sip from her wine as Mrs. Brodeur’s wine was refilled. Nathalie watched the woman’s eyes trail to her right and lock on to the angle in which Miss. Mercier’s arm was positioned. Her eyes began growing wide as Nathalie’s excitement grew. 

This plan would work. Mrs. Brodeur was a woman born into being a socialite. She had to deal with the rumours of her husband’s infidelity for years while keeping silent, and so a breaking point would be catastrophically perfect. Just as Mrs. Brodeur opened her mouth, a yell carried across the room. Nathalie calmly twisted around to see two guests standing across a table from each other, one drenched in red wine. 

The sight of an outer table, a group of people who Nathalie was under the impression had no history or reason to be upset with one another breaking out into a fight was enough to catch Nathalie off guard. She turned back to Gabriel who nodded his head to her. Everyone in the room rose to see what was happening, and so Nathalie and Gabriel slipped away through the crowd. They came to a stop before a bathroom door, sharing a brief look before Nathalie pulled her necklace away from her chest. She handed Gabriel the pendant containing the butterfly before leaving Gabriel to enter the secluded bathroom. 

While it was rather disappointing that Mrs. Brodeur had no time to strike up her own conflict, something occurring in an outer table so quickly into the dinner must mean it was serious and could cause a potentially dangerous akuma. Nathalie pushed past the forming crowd under the guise of getting security while the two women began to brawl. It became increasingly difficult to not stumble past guests and to not trip over her dress in the process. 

Nathalie heard several gasps raise from the crowd as the simple fist fight had just turned into a one sided akuma battle. Panic spread throughout the room, people began rushing in all directions, trying to find the nearest exit. Nathalie, at the front of the crowd, reached an exit first. However, when she tried pushing the door open, she found it to be immovable. She looked back to see other crowds of people having similar difficulties at every other door. 

This is exactly what wasn’t supposed to happen. The akuma was supposed to be that of a fighter, someone angry at a spouse or whatnot. Not someone who would trap every guest inside the room. This wouldn’t work for a few reasons. Nathalie for one was trapped inside instead of outside, leading the akuma away from Hawkmoth to the best of her abilities. Then, the biggest issue became that of similar akumas having occurred in the past. Ladybug and Chat Noir had fought akumas who trapped people in buildings beforehand, this was nothing new and would likely pose no threat to them. 

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Nathalie pushed through the people around the door and rushed towards the men’s bathroom. She tried pushing the door open but to no avail. It, of course, was locked too. She paused, trying to think of a solution. Before she could conjure anything up, she became increasingly aware of chairs being thrown around the room by the akuma in the centre. She ducked just as a chair crashed overhead, splintering into pieces above her. She carefully brushed it off before rushing away, searching for a place to hide until it was safe. She didn’t make it very far before being slammed in the back with a chair, knocking her to the ground. She slammed her head against the cold marble floors and felt her vision becoming blacker and blacker by the second.

And then it was all black.


	4. Four

Nathalie first became unfortunately aware of the throbbing pain in her head before she managed to open her eyes. Once she finally managed to pry them open, she was greeted with a lovely blinding light. After letting her eyes adjust, she took a look around her, seeing a clear night sky broken by a vibrant street light overhead. and other rooftops. She felt the rough ground of the flat roof she sat on, rubbing a few grains of gravel between her fingers. 

Nathalie rubbed her head, groaning a little. She pulled off her glasses, taking note of the one broken lens. Her dress was intact but covered in dust and dirt. Feeling a slightly damp spot growing on her cheek, she reached up and wiped blood onto her hand. She could feel fresh blood coming out around dried blood, the cut already beginning to scab over. Carefully, she stood herself up and took a better look around. The banquet hall the gala was held in was just across the street. How she had gotten here and for how long she had been here were both large mysteries plaguing her mind. 

“You’re awake!” A masculine voice said from behind. If it had been anyone else, they would have jumped or screamed. But not Nathalie. She calmly turned to face the voice, internally surprised to see Chat Noir and Ladybug standing before her. 

“Are you feeling okay?” Ladybug asked, concern over her face. 

“I... am fine.” Nathalie clutched her glasses in her hand. “How did I get here?”

“When we got through the akuma’s barrier, you and several other people were unconscious, laying on the floor.” Ladybug explained. “So we did our best to get everyone out of the akuma’s line of sight, and that ended up being here.”

“Everyone else woke up way sooner than you, all before we defeated the akuma.” Chat Noir added, leaning on his staff. 

Nathalie paused, thinking. “Did anything else happen?” She did her best not to think of possibility that Gabriel had been found and defeated while she was unconscious.

Chat Noir looked guiltily to Ladybug who frowned at him. “I may have dropped you while carrying you up here.” He gave a sorry smile to Nathalie. “The akuma caught up to us while we were bringing you and...”

“I understand.” Nathalie said. 

“You’ve been unconscious for 2 hours now.” Ladybug said. Nathalie stood silently. “The akuma has been gone for an hour. Chat Noir insisted on coming back to check on you.”

Two hours Nathalie had been lying on this roof while Gabriel hid in a bathroom, battling with the two superheroes that stood before her. He was alone, their plan having gone haywire. Ladybug and Chat Noir were never supposed to get to the gala. Nathalie was supposed to get the akuma out of the building before they arrived. But she failed.

And she never hated herself more. 

“Thank you for saving me. I must be going now.” Nathalie covered the pain of walking with a neutral expression as she passed the two superheroes and approached a door leading to a stairwell down. 

“You should really see a doctor!” Chat Noir called out after her as she opened the door and began her descent. Once sufficiently alone, she reached for her non-existent phone. Her purse had been left at her table in the chaos and would have to be recovered later. She reached the bottom of the stairs and exited onto the street. She waited by a street corner before hailing a taxi, knowing she would have to rush inside the Agreste mansion to get payment for the ride. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Nathalie!” Gabriel raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Where have you been?” He rushed from his desk to Nathalie, who had just entered his office after paying. “I’ve been trying to contact you, I sent people to look for you... What happened?” His eyes skimmed over the damage. 

“You saw me get hit by a chair, correct?” Nathalie inquired. 

“I did. I’m sorry, Nathalie. I didn’t know the akuma would-” Gabriel frowned, putting his hands on Nathalie’s shoulder. 

“Gabriel, it’s okay. I didn’t expect it to turn out like that either.” She sighed. 

“I lost track of you after Ladybug and Chat Noir entered.” 

“They came to talk to me after I woke up. Apparently they brought everyone rendered unconscious to a nearby rooftop. I...” Nathalie hesitated, debating whether or not to divulge this information. “I was the last to wake up.”

“Where did all this damage come from? The cut on your face? Your black eye?” Gabriel asked.

“A black eye?” Nathalie raised her eyebrows, not knowing of that injury. “I’m not too sure. I can presume the pain in my back and head were from the impact but everything else... I don’t know, Gabriel.” 

“How much longer were you unconscious for?” Gabriel asked, his face growing serious. 

Nathalie considered making it sound like less time, but under Gabriel’s gaze she could not lie. “...An hour more than anyone else. Two hours total.”

“Two hours!” Gabriel exclaimed, dropping his hands from Nathalie’s shoulders. 

“It’s not anything to worry about. I’ll make an appointment with a doctor first thing tomorrow.” 

“You likely have a serious head injury. Time is of the essence, we’re going to emergency room immediately.” Gabriel stepped away, picking up his phone and tapping on a phone number. 

“We? Gabriel, if you insist I can go to the emergency room but there is no need for you to come as well.” Nathalie said. 

“Nonsense. You’re injured because of me and I need to ensure your health is well.” Gabriel shook his head to Nathalie while raising his phone to his ear. “I require you to prepare the car. Work with haste.” He said into the phone. 

Nathalie suppressed a groan of pain, her eyes landing on the painting of Emilie that covers the peacock miraculous’ hiding spot as Gabriel continued arranging their transportation. Through her pain she felt an urge to wield it again, but whether that was from a desire to have a plot end successfully or simply to feel the power that masked its pain was terrifyingly unclear to Nathalie.


	5. Five

Unexpectedly, Adrien sat on the grand staircase as Nathalie and Gabriel returned from the hospital. Gabriel’s brows furrowed upon seeing his son before him. “Adrien? It’s nearly 2 am. You should have been in bed hours ago.”

Adrien rose to his feet at the sound of his father’s voice. It looked like the teenage boy had dozed off to sleep, his hair tousled where he had rested his head against a railing. “Father- I...” Adrien paused, appearing to recollect his sleep heavy thoughts. “I went to ask Nathalie about my photo shoot tomorrow but I couldn’t find her, so I went looking for you.” He rubbed at his head. “I couldn’t find you either. I was told you went to the hospital so I waited here for you to come back and...” He gave a charismatic smile. “I guess I fell asleep.” 

Gabriel rubbed the bridge of his nose, clearly unfazed by the model smile. “You should have gone to bed as soon as you heard we were at the hospital. You know you have to be up early tomorrow.”

“Sorry, Father.” Adrien glanced to Nathalie, his eyes widening at the sight of her bandaged head. “What happened?” He said, looking rather guilty. 

“Nathalie had a run in with the akuma that attacked the gala earlier. I’m sure you have heard.” Gabriel said dismissively. “Now isn’t the time for questions, Adrien. Go to your room.”

Adrien sighed and resigned, turning around and ascending the staircase. “Goodnight, Father, goodnight, Nathalie.”

Gabriel grunted in response before escorting Nathalie to his office. “I don’t understand why your damage wasn’t healed by Ladybug’s lucky charm.” He said, settling Nathalie onto a chair. “People have been brought back to life who died as a result of akumas. But your injuries are still present.”

Nathalie nodded her head before considering his statement. “I don’t think this damage happened to me during the akuma attack.”

“What?”

“I remember falling on the left side of my head. That’s the way I instinctively angled it, but all of the damage is on my right side.” She motioned to the bandages covering part of her head. “And I don’t recall why I would have ended up with a black eye or a gash on my cheek from hitting the side of my head.”

“You said Chat Noir dropped you while the akuma was pursing them, correct?” Gabriel frowned. 

“Yes, but I fail to see how being dropped would cause this either.” Nathalie looked up at her boss. “And I have no explanation as to why I remained unconscious long after everyone else awoke. I should have woken up after the akuma was purified.”

“I had no visuals on you. I can’t imagine what happened after the fact.” Gabriel ran his hand over his face. “Nathalie, I’m sorry for putting you in danger, I didn’t know this would happen.”

“It was my decision, Gabriel. Hardly your fault.” Nathalie tugged at the hospital band around her wrist. 

Gabriel crouched down before her. “You know that I don’t want to put you in harm’s way. I... This was far too dangerous. Similar to when you used the peacock miraculous. You shouldn’t put yourself in danger.” 

“I want to help you.” 

“Nonsense.” Gabriel stood back up, breaking their eye contact. “I’ll go have someone get you a glass of water before you go to sleep.” He walked away, leaving Nathalie alone in his office. She looked around the room, allowing her posture to falter for the time being. She found her eyes wandering to the portrait of Emilie. She examined it despite it being awfully blurry due to her lack of glasses. 

She knew what the peacock miraculous could do. What it did. But with every frown of Gabriel’s caused by another failed plan brought her closer and closer to wielding it again. The closest they had ever gotten to succeeding was when she used it. And to add to that, if she had it for the whole battle, not just to save Gabriel... She could only imagine the impact it would have.

But Gabriel would never agree to it. He would never let her use the item that rendered his wife virtually dead. But, perhaps he didn’t have to let her use it. If she could have him unaware of her use before it was too late to stop her, then there would be nothing he could do. As if on cue, Gabriel pushed open the doors and walked towards Nathalie, a glass of water and ice in his hand. 

“I forgot to ask, how are you feeling?” He asked while handing her the glass. She took a sip, allowing the coolness of the water to steady her now unstable breathing before she spoke.

“Much better than earlier. Painkillers really do work wonders.” She gave a thin smile to Gabriel. “I am lucky that it’s very light concussion, it could have been much worse.”

Gabriel nodded his head. “I’ve ordered an intern to check on you every few hours throughout the night.”

“I hardly think that is necessary. The doctor said I was fine to sleep on my own-” Nathalie shook her head lightly.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry.” Gabriel cut her off. “When you’re done your glass, I would advise you to head to sleep right away. The more you can get the better.” He briefly rested his hand over hers before walking past. “I will see you in the morning.” 

“As always.” Nathalie took a sip of her water as the doors clicked shut behind Gabriel.


	6. Six

Nathalie rose with a groan. Her head felt as if it were pounding. She had difficulty opening her eye due to the increase in swelling. She took a quick moment to stretch before pulling herself out of bed and taking a sip from the glass on the nightstand. While she had her own apartment, frequently she found herself sleeping in one of the many spare rooms within the Agreste mansion that Gabriel had deemed hers. 

Suddenly aware at the lack of her alarm going off, Nathalie felt panic rise in her throat. She glanced at the clock on the wall, her fists tightening against her sides. She had slept in. Unintentionally. Not even on her rare day off did she sleep in. She rushed around the room, pulling a pantsuit from the dresser and rushing to the ensuite bathroom. After an astoundingly short time, Nathalie emerged fully clothed and clean. She rushed out of the bedroom, speeding towards Gabriel’s office. 

“Gabriel, I’m so sorry, my alarm didn’t go off and-” She said as she pushed the doors open. Gabriel looked up from his design tablet. 

“I had an intern disable your alarm before you intended to wake up. You needed your rest and I assumed you planned to wake up at your usual time, correct?”

Nathalie sighed. “Yes, I did. But I have work to do today, I can’t keep missing days of work.”

“Nathalie, your eye is nearly swollen shut.” Gabriel looked back down to his tablet. “I don’t imagine you feel overly great internally.”

“I can still work.” Nathalie said, doing her best to ignore the pain throbbing through her head. 

“If you insist on working today, go ahead. I do think that the extra rest this morning did you well.” Gabriel waved her off. Just as Nathalie parted through the doorway, Gabriel spoke again. “If you feel any worse, don’t hesitate to let me know.”

Nathalie nodded her head and left to her desk. As she took her seat, an ache began to grow in her chest. She became increasingly aware of the painkillers prescribed to her last night. She stood up almost right after she sat down and made her way to ‘her’ room. She pulled open the nightstand and took a pill bottle out, twisting it open and tipping out a pill into her hand. She sipped at her water before taking the pill and returning everything to its proper place. 

She left her room and began the walk back to her desk. Her eye caught on a picture frame atop a shelf. She paused and turned to face it. Emilie’s smiling face stared back at Nathalie, who’s eyes locked onto the brooch over Emilie’s chest. She felt her heart skip a beat as she placed her hand over her own chest, where that same brooch had been before. She turned away and continued onto her desk. 

She sat down at her desk once again and typed in her password, getting to work while she waited for the painkillers to kick in. With each pressed key the ache in her head faded ever so slightly until it was a dull, ignorable pain. Despite the painkillers clearly having taken effect, the pain in her chest hadn’t decreased in the slightest. If anything, it had grown worse. Through her typing her mind was locked onto the peacock brooch. While her fingers wrote out emails on Gabriel’s behalf, her thoughts were stuck on the cause of his ‘late’ wife’s ultimate demise and her desire to wield it herself. 

She knew very well that it would be the opposite of a wise choice to use it, but for once in her life she pushed aside logic. Her want to wear it again was, in all honesty, stronger than her want for Gabriel. This was a fact that she did not like in the slightest, and so she continued to type away in the hopes of distracting herself at her computer for the rest of the afternoon, occasionally getting up to direct Adrien’s schedule or dealing with interns swinging by the mansion until it became evening. Nathalie was so focused into her screen that it took Gabriel clearing his throat for her to notice him standing before her desk, his arms folded behind his back.

“Nathalie, you shouldn’t overwork yourself.” He said, looking down at her. “It’s time for you to rest for the night.”

“I haven’t done all the work I was meant to do today.” Nathalie replied. “I think it would be ideal for me to work another hour or two to make up for the lost time this morning.”

Gabriel furrowed his brows in thought. “That is hardly necessary. Are you even feeling any better?” 

“I’ve been taking my painkillers every 4-6 hours as prescribed, and they’ve been as effective as expected.” She lied. “Gabriel, I’ll spend an hour at most wrapping up my work if it pleases you.”

Gabriel sighed. “Fine. If you feel any pain you are to stop immediately and rest until tomorrow, understood?”

Nathalie nodded. “Very well. Are you done working for the night?”

“Yes, I’m about to go to my room, why?” 

“Just in case anyone calls for you.” Nathalie said. “Goodnight, Gabriel.” 

“Goodnight, Nathalie. Don’t over exert yourself.” Gabriel nodded to Nathalie as he left the room. Nathalie resumed her typing as she listened to Gabriel’s footsteps echo up the stairway and down the hall until they were inaudible. Nathalie stood up and began walking to Gabriel’s now empty office, the ache in her chest growing stronger with every step closer. She pushed open the doors gently and closed them quietly. She approached the painting of Emilie and pried her fingers between the frame and the wall, pulling it forward. 

Before the painting had fully swung open, Nathalie already had her hands on the safe’s lock, twisting the dial to the numbers she had memorized. As quietly as she could, she popped the safe’s door open and held her breath as she reached within, her hand extending towards the brooch. She took it in the palm of her hand and closed her fingers around it, her heart beating faster and faster. 

She closed the safe and covered it back up with the painting before rushing out of the room and to her desk. She shut her computer down and briefly organized the few papers into a neat pile. She then moved swiftly into the foyer and up the stairs, ending up before her door in very little time. She slipped inside and sat down on the bed, unfolding her fingers to reveal the brooch. She took a steady breath before pinning it to her jacket, the ache in her chest fading as a pale blue orb of light appeared before her, fading away to reveal a small, blue kwami.


	7. Seven

Nathalie awoke to the sound of her alarm ringing. She took a deep breath, did her best to ignore the pain in her body, and sat up, pressing the off button and glancing at the time, 5:00. She slipped out of bed and gathered her outfit for the day, preparing herself as usual in the bathroom before re entering her room and grabbing the brooch off the nightstand. She left her room and made her way to Gabriel’s office, working quickly as she replaced the brooch to its rightful place. 

She left the office, leaving it just as it was before she took the brooch the evening before. The risk of taking it was well worth it. So long as she was careful, Gabriel would never find out she took it. While she wielded the miraculous, any pain she felt vanished. Much to her dismay, as soon as she detransformed the pain returned, ever so slightly worse than before, essentially the same as the first time she had used the miraculous. That confused Nathalie ever so slightly, as she hadn’t used any powers while transformed this time, and she assumed that was the cause of the initial pain. 

But still, if transforming at night was the only way to put a pause to her pain, so be it. She felt _alive_ while transformed. More than she ever had, even before she wielded it in the first place. A feeling of sleepiness nagged at the back of Nathalie’s mind, prompting her to go to the kitchen, where the chef worked, having just arrived to work minutes ago. 

“Nathalie? What are you up so early for?” The chef asked, an eyebrow raised. 

“There were a few matters requiring my attention before I would usually awake.” Nathalie said. 

“Hm. You’re here for your coffee, right?”

“As usual.” Nathalie leaned against a counter ever so slightly, her knees feeling vaguely weak. She watched as the chef began working, brewing the coffee and pulling out cream and sugar. “Put in extra sugar.”

“Extra sugar? Nathalie you’ve had the exact same coffee for years.” The chef said, pausing with a mug in his hand.

“Yes, I think I’d like to change it up a little bit today.” Nathalie motioned to the sugar. 

“If you insist. How much more?”

“An extra spoonful.” 

The chef did as instructed and handed Nathalie the mug before turning back to the counter. “Breakfast will be ready for Adrien and Mr. Agreste at the usual time.” 

“Fantastic.” Nathalie nodded her head to the chef before taking leave from the kitchen and making her way back to her desk. Nathalie sat down and logged into her computer, loading up Adrien and Gabriel’s schedules for the day. Soon she would have to wake Adrien to remind him of his fashion shoot after school, and then she would need to give Gabriel a summary of emails received in the past 24 hours, then usher Adrien to eat his breakfast. Overall, a very typical day sat before Nathalie. 

Nathalie glanced at the clock and stood, grabbing her tablet on her way out. She made her way to Adrien’s room, where she knocked lightly. “Come in.” Adrien’s voice rang out from within the room. Nathalie pushed open the door. Adrien stood at his closet, pulling out his usual clothes. 

“Adrien, you’re already behind schedule. You should already be dressed.” Nathalie said. 

“I know, I’m sorry.” Adrien smiled sheepishly to Nathalie. “I got a late start out of bed. Breakfast isn’t ready yet, is it?”

“No, but it will be soon. Please hurry up.” Nathalie backed out of the room, closing the door behind her. She walked to Gabriel’s office and pushed open the doors. 

“Nathalie, good morning.” Gabriel nodded to Nathalie from his podium.

“Good morning. Will you be joining Adrien for breakfast this morning?”

“No, I’ll eat here. I don’t have the time now to step away.” Gabriel tapped at his screen.

“Understood. I’ll let Adrien know.” Nathalie pulled open the schedule on her tablet. “You have a call scheduled for 9:00, and another at 11:00, ending just before lunch.”

“Thank you, Nathalie.” Gabriel said, looking up briefly at Nathalie as she turned to leave. “You look much better than yesterday.”

“I feel better than yesterday.” Nathalie said, her hand on the door. It wasn’t entirely a lie. She did feel better in a way, but the pain still nagged in her chest.

“That’s good to hear.” Gabriel allowed a slight smile over his lips as Nathalie left, returning to the foyer. She watched as the Chef emerged from the kitchen and passed through the foyer, two breakfast plates in hand. 

“Mr. Agreste will be eating his breakfast in his office and Adrien in the dining room.” Nathalie paused in front of the Chef. 

“As per usual.” He stepped past Nathalie, towards the dining room. “There’s a bowl of cut up fruit for you in the kitchen whenever you want it.” 

“Thank you, Raphael.” Nathalie stood before the stairs as Raphael vanished into the dining room. She watched as Adrien turned the corner and descended the stairs. 

“Adrien, you’ll have a photo shoot shortly after school.” Nathalie said. 

“Actually, Nathalie, I was invited to a study group after school with some of my classmates and I really want to go, even if it’s only for a little while.” Adrien looked to Nathalie hopefully. 

Nathalie glanced to the schedule before her and up to Adrien. She let out a sigh. “Go ahead, but you’ll only have half an hour before you’ll be picked up.” 

“Really? Thanks, Nathalie.” Adrien smiled wide. He continued down the stairs and passed Nathalie, heading towards the dining room.

“Your father will be having breakfast on his own.” Nathalie added just as Adrien pushed open the doors.

“Oh, alright.” Adrien’s face showed a hint of disappointment masked by accustomedness to the feeling. He continued into the dining room, the doors swinging shut behind him. Nathalie watched after him, a frown tugging ever so slightly at the corners of her mouth.


	8. Eight

Nathalie took a steady breath and pinned the peacock brooch to her jacket. Her eyes tracked the blue orb of light as it shot from the brooch, coming to a halt before Nathalie. It slowly morphed into a small, blue peacock kwami, her feathered train falling behind her. The sight of the kwami alone was enough to dull the pain Nathalie felt in her chest, a smile tugging (but failing to form) at her lips. The kwami hovered with her eyes closed, floating lightly. 

“Duusu?” Nathalie felt compelled to reach out to the small peacock before her, but restrained herself. 

“I’m... resting.” Duusu replied, her eyes still closed. Nathalie sat patiently, waiting for the kwami to open her eyes. After just over a minute, Duusu lazily opened one eye and scanned over Nathalie. “Why do you abandon me?” 

“I can’t...” Nathalie felt at a loss for words. “Gabriel would never let me keep you during the day. He doesn’t know I take the brooch at night.” 

Duusu opened both eyes, her expression falling blank. “But does it matter what Gabriel wants?” Her face shifted suddenly to anger, her cheeks flushing a bright pink, a stark contrast to her blue skin. “It hurts me. It hurts me to stay in there!” She appeared to shake as the feathers of her train flared up around her back. Nathalie felt a pain sear through her head at the sound of the kwami’s sharp tone. 

“Duusu, please do not wake up anyone else in the mansion.” Nathalie spoke softly, trying to diffuse the kwami’s volatile emotion. 

The pink faded from Duusu’s face, her train collapsing down. Her eyes began filling with glittering tears. “Gabriel doesn’t care about me.” Her head twitched lightly, her eyes clamping shut momentarily. “He tried and tried to separate Emilie and I.” Her lip quivered unstably. “You still haven’t told me where she is. I miss her.” 

Nathalie’s lips tightened. “She’s away.” 

“But where? Nathalie I want to see her. I need to see her.” Duusu’s head rolled limply to one side before snapping back up. 

“She’s not here. She likely won’t be back for a long time.” Nathalie looked away. 

“Promise I can see her when she comes back?” Duusu pouted. 

“Yes.” Nathalie still kept her eyes away from Duusu. She felt as if telling Duusu whatever she wanted to hear was the best option. When Duusu was happy, Nathalie was happy. She glanced back to Duusu and balled her hands into fists as a shot of pain seared through her body for a moment. 

“I know how you feel. Nathalie, you know how to stop it. You know how to stop both of our pain.” Duusu tilted her head forward, her hover jittering.

“I can’t, Duusu.”

“But you can! It doesn’t matter what Gabriel thinks! We matter.” Duusu flew around Nathalie’s head quickly, jittering as she did. 

“I’ll... I’ll talk to Gabriel.” Nathalie said, knowing full well she had no intentions of doing such. 

“Thank you!” Duusu exclaimed, a smile taking over nearly her whole face. “Are you ready to transform?”

“Yes, I am.” Nathalie said, hiding her excitement. “Fan out.” Nathalie said, triggering Duusu to fly into the brooch, spreading her magic through Nathalie’s body. All the pain in Nathalie’s body vanished. While wearing the brooch alone without transforming certainly dulled the pain, it was nothing in comparison to the near euphoric feeling fully wielding the miraculous gave. She let out a soft gasp as her long, dark blue dress appeared around her waist. She snapped open the fan she held in her hand and lightly fanned herself, trying to cool the warmth that had spread within her body. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The intercom pinged as Gabriel’s face appeared on the screen. Nathalie paused her typing and swivelled her chair to better face the small screen on her desk. “Nathalie.” Gabriel said, his face more stern than usual.

“Gabriel, what can I help you with?” Nathalie asked, feeling a twinge of concern at the sight of his face.

“Would you mind coming to my office? There is something urgent I need to discuss with you.” 

“Right away.” Nathalie said, clicking the intercom off. She closed the tabs on her computer and took a deep breath, preparing to stand. She struggled briefly before managing to lift herself from her chair, taking a moment to adjust to the standing position. She precariously made her way to Gabriel’s office, leaning against walls whenever possible. She took in Gabriel’s expression in person as she stepped into his office, closing the door behind herself.

“Nathalie. Do you mind explaining why an intern that I had managing various projects overnight saw you come into my office at 5 am last night, holding something blue coloured in your hand?” He asked, stepping down from his podium. 

Nathalie froze, unsure of how to respond. Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “I...” Nathalie trailed off. 

“Did you take the peacock brooch?”

Nathalie pursed her lips. Hesitating to answer. “Yes.”

Gabriel let out an exasperated sigh. “This is why I told you not to use it ever again. It’s hurting you.” He motioned towards her. “You can barely stand anymore.” 

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. Nathalie, that brooch is dangerous. You know that.” He stepped towards her. “I will be hiding it elsewhere from here on out.”

Nathalie’s heart felt as if it sank to her stomach. “You can’t do that.”

“I have to.” Gabriel frowned. 

“No. No, Gabriel, I need it. Just wearing it on my jacket helps. I don’t need to transform ever again. Please, Gabriel.” Nathalie begged, feeling pathetic and unlike herself. 

“Look what it’s already done. The reason you didn’t heal fully after the Ladybug returned everything back to normal was likely due to the peacock miraculous interfering with her abilities. You aren’t safe to be around during an akuma attack anymore.”

“Gabriel, I won’t get any worse if I don’t transform again. Please, please just let me wear it.” 

“You aren’t even acting as yourself anymore.” He turned his face away from her. “And you don’t know that. It could continue to eat away at you. I can’t risk that.”

Nathalie looked helplessly at Gabriel. He sighed, looking back at her. “Nathalie, I value you too much to allow the same thing that happened to Emilie happen again. The best we can hope for is that you’ll recover in time if you stay away from the brooch.” 

Nathalie felt an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness overtake her. “Alright.” She resigned. “Is that all?” She did her best to muster her strength to return to work. 

“Yes, that is all.” Gabriel nodded his head. He looked at Nathalie for a moment longer before stepping towards her and taking her hand in his. “I can’t lose you too.” 

Nathalie frowned ever so slightly before dropping her hands from his. “I understand.” She said, stepping back. She turned on her heels and walked as confidently out as she could, the facade falling as she passed through the Foyer and into her office, feeling weaker and weaker with every step.


	9. Nine

Nathalie held her tablet on her lap, staring vacantly out of the windshield. Adrien’s bodyguard sat in the driver’s seat beside her, silent as usual. Nathalie glanced in the rear view mirror to see Adrien’s head quickly turn to his left, as if he had been staring at the back of Nathalie’s head. “Adrien, I know you’re disappointed that your father couldn’t accompany you, but remember to enjoy yourself.”

“I will.” Adrien managed a smile before turning his head to look out of the window. Nathalie turned to face the windshield again. She watched as the car approached the school and rolled to a stop. Adrien began opening the car door as Nathalie turned around to face him again. 

“Good luck, Adrien. Your father informed me that he’ll allow you to reschedule any upcoming photo shoot of your choice if you place first in your competition.” Gabriel didn’t authorize this whatsoever, but Nathalie felt pity for Adrien and his rather strict schedule, so she would make it work. 

“I’ll do my best.” Adrien grabbed his fencing bag and slipped out of the car. The door slammed shut as Adrien walked up the steps of his school. The car started up again and drove a couple blocks away before stopping once again. This time Nathalie opened her door.

“I’ll be about an hour. Feel free to go elsewhere if you wish.” She said to Adrien’s bodyguard, who briefly raised his brow in surprise before nodding his head and letting a grunt of understanding out. Nathalie stepped out, gently closing the door behind her. She watched as the car drove away, leaving her on the sidewalk. She walked slowly and unsteadily towards a business complex. 

Gabriel had insisted she remain at the mansion, however she argued that he couldn’t reasonably send an intern to this meeting in his place over her. She had nearly as much information as Gabriel, and an intern would only be able to take notes for Gabriel rather than participate as Nathalie could. He begrudgingly agreed, demanding that if she felt at all ill she was to return to the mansion right away. Just as she approached the steps, Chat Noir dropped down in front of her. 

She took a shaky step back in surprise. “Hi, you were hurt a while ago, right?” He asked.

Nathalie took a moment to collect her thoughts. “Yes, I was. Can I help you?” She looked sceptically at the super hero before her. 

“I was just passing by over head while on patrol and saw you. I wanted to ask how you’re recovering.” He said, acting noticeably out of rushed and out of character. 

“I am doing well.” Nathalie cleared her throat. “Apologies, but I need to be in attendance at a meeting now, and I’m sure you have things to be doing as well.” She held off on walking past him, not wanting to trigger any questions about her bizarre speed.

“You had a black eye, right? I don’t see any damage there, did everything else heal up too?” He asked, looking anxious.

“As I said, I am well. I appreciate your concern however you are wasting your time.” Nathalie said and motioned to the building behind Chat Noir. 

“It’s hardly wasting time to make sure citizens of Paris are recovering purr-fectly.” He said, winking at Nathalie. 

“I, as a citizen of Paris, am doing perfectly.” She glanced at the tablet in her hand, checking the time. “And if you will excuse me...” She ignored the part of her mind that told her not to walk in front of him and stepped around him, doing her best to walk normally. He watched as she slowly but steadily climbed the steps and pushed open the doors. She didn’t glance back to see his reaction to her gait and walked inside. 

She did her best to make her way through the lobby without grabbing people’s attention. She approached the front desk. “I have a meeting with Claude Berger.” 

“Nathalie Sancouer?” The receptionist asked, typing something into her keyboard. 

“Yes.”

“The meeting room is on floor 14, room 4b. It’ll be to your right.” The receptionist said, motioning towards the elevator. Nathalie nodded her head and hobbled towards the elevator. She pressed the button and entered as the doors slid open. She held her posture as straight as possible while she waited for the doors to shut. The second she was alone she slumped against the wall behind her, using the railing as support. She closed her eyes and kept her breathing as steady as she could as the elevator ascended. 

Nathalie’s posture straightened out as the doors opened once more. She walked out and towards room 4b, surprisingly graceful. She walked through the open door to find several people sitting around a meeting table. She took an open seat and uttered greetings to those she recognized. Nathalie opened her tablet and opened the messaging app, tapping on Gabriel’s name.

‘ _I arrived safely._ ’ she wrote just as Gabriel insisted. 

“I believe everyone has arrived.” A man said, shutting the door as he entered. “Hello all, thank you for being timely.” The man walked past everyone and took the seat at the head of the table. 

“Claude, Allison hasn’t arrived yet.” Another man said, gesturing to an empty seat. 

Claude paused briefly. “Oh yes! Allison. We’ll just have to get started without her.” He grabbed a sheet of paper from the table. “The fall fashion line needs to start production...” He continued speaking, referencing the paper. Nathalie did her best to listen, but found it increasingly difficult as her head had developed a throbbing sensation. 

“Nathalie?” A voice broke through. Nathalie looked up, not having realized her head was nearly against the table. 

“Yes?” She said, her voice clear. 

“Are you well?” The voice asked.

“Yes, yes I am.” She sat upright. “I need to get some water, if you’ll excuse me.” She stood up, not waiting for a response. She rushed from the room, searching for a fountain. She rounded a corner and spotted a fountain at the end. Nathalie was fully under the impression that she would be able to reach this fountain and that it would help her. However she would never know if the water would have helped at all, as she collapsed to the floor a couple feet away from the fountain.


	10. Ten

Once more, Nathalie awoke unsure of where she was. The throbbing in her head prompted her to keep her eyes closed for a few seconds longer than usual. “...longer than expected.” An unfamiliar voice said. 

“What does that entail? Should I be concerned?” A familiar voice asked, prompting Nathalie to open her eyes.

“We aren’t sure, Mr. Agreste. As far as we can tell her concussion was completely healed, however this may indicate it isn’t.” 

Nathalie blinked as her eyes adjusted to the bright hospital lights above her. She gently rubbed her head while watching Gabriel talk to a doctor. “There have to be other tests you can do to be sure.” Gabriel frowned, looking rather annoyed. “She shouldn’t be fainting at random intervals.”

“We’ve already done-” The doctor glanced to Nathalie, his eyebrows raising at the sight of her. “She’s awake.”

Gabriel’s head nearly whipped in her direction. “Nathalie.” He rushed beside her bed. “How are you feeling?” 

“My head hurts.” Nathalie carefully sat herself up. 

“Do you remember what happened?” The doctor asked, approaching. 

“Last thing I recall is sitting in a meeting, then getting up to get a drink.” She pushed a strand of hair away from her face and looked around for her glasses, spotting them on a table beside the bed.

“Did you have any symptoms before hand? In the past few days?” The doctor grabbed a clipboard from the end of the bed. 

Nathalie glanced at Gabriel, then to the doctor. “No. I’ve been fine.” She reached for the glasses and slid them onto her face. 

“This is very strange then.” The doctor skimmed over the clipboard. “I’ll be back with a few nurses to run some tests.” He turned and left, leaving Nathalie and Gabriel alone. 

“Why did you lie?” Gabriel asked, looking down at Nathalie. 

“How could I explain that I’ve been feeling pain from a magical brooch? What would they do for me?” Nathalie clasped her hands atop her lap, a blanket below. “Besides admit me to the mental ward.” She joked dryly.

“Do you think you fainted from...” Gabriel trailed off, motioning to her chest. 

“I can’t imagine what else it would be from.” Nathalie pursed her lips and looked up to the ceiling. “I’ve been in the hospital more in the past month than I have been in my life. Funny.” Her heart jumped as she glanced at her lap to see Gabriel’s hand atop hers. 

“I was afraid of this happening, Nathalie.” He said, his eyes uncharacteristically filled with worry. 

“I don’t know what to do, Gabriel.” 

“If I...” Gabriel hesitated. “If I gave you the brooch. Just to wear, not to use, do you believe it would help you feel better?” 

Nathalie’s heart jumped more at the suggestion than when Gabriel held her hand. “Yes. Yes it would.” 

“You have to agree not to transform. Ever.” Gabriel said sternly. 

“I won’t transform. You have my word.” Nathalie replied.

“Alright, we have a few tests we can run to make sure everything is okay.” The doctor said as he returned, a couple nurses in tow. 

“We’ll continue this later.” Gabriel said quietly, taking his hand from Nathalie’s.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nathalie stood behind Gabriel, her hands clasped in anticipation. She watched as he pulled the painting forward and turned the lock, popping the safe open. “Remember, you can not, under any circumstances, transform. Do not listen to Duusu.” He reached in and took the brooch. “I am only doing this to ease your pain. Keeping you away from it clearly didn’t help at all.” He said, turning to face Nathalie. 

“I understand, Gabriel. Thank you.” She released her hands and extended one out, reaching for the brooch. Gabriel placed it in her hand, his eyebrows furrowed. 

“I just don’t want you to be in such pain any longer.” He sighed, letting his hand drop to his side. Nathalie pinned the brooch to her lapel, her hands shaking. Immediately she felt a surge of warmth through her body, dulling most of her pain. Duusu appeared before her, her eyes wide open. She turned to face Gabriel and frowned, giving him a look of pure hatred before shooting off, phasing through a wall. Nathalie watched as Duusu vanished before looking back at Gabriel and feeling a sudden rush of emotion, much more than she could ever say she had before. In a split second, she had pulled Gabriel into an embrace. 

At first he jumped slightly, caught off guard, but soon eased into the hug, wrapping his arms around Nathalie. “Thank you, Gabriel.” Nathalie mumbled into the crook of his neck. She pulled away ever so slightly and looked at him, pausing for a moment before leaning in and placing her lips against his. He pulled her closer, his hand resting on her waist. He pulled away after a minute, his eyes pointed at the ceiling. 

“Nathalie, we can’t.” He said after a painful moment of silence. “Emilie is still... She is still my wife.” 

“Right.” Nathalie pursed her lips. She stepped back, releasing him from her arms. “Apologies. I... Don’t know what overcame me.” She noticed her less than ideal posture and corrected it. “Perhaps it is best if we forget what just happened.” 

Gabriel nodded silently before sighing. “Yes, perhaps it is. I will see you in the morning, Nathalie. Please rest well.” Gabriel turned to the safe, closing it. Nathalie rushed from his office, her strength to walk returned to her. She closed the door behind her. Once alone, she dragged her hand down her face, sighing. If that was truly how Gabriel felt then she didn’t understand why he took so long to pull away. She didn’t understand why he didn’t push her away right away. 

Everything began to feel confusing and for the first time in a very long time, Nathalie felt anger at her situation. So long as Emilie was still alive in some fashion, Gabriel would be in love with her. So long as Emilie still existed Nathalie would be second place, and there was nothing she could do. On top of that, she was dying. Or at least she felt that way. The best she could hope for was that the brooch would sustain her, but there was a thought that nagged at the back of her mind, saying it would only get worse and worse, with or without Duusu.


	11. Eleven

“Here is your schedule for the day.” Nathalie passed Gabriel her tablet, linking her hands behind her back as he scanned it over. 

“Thank you, Nathalie.” Gabriel said after a moment. He handed her tablet back, averting his eyes to his left all the while. “I presume my driver is waiting outside?” 

Nathalie tapped open her locator app and checked the car’s location. “Yes, it’s ready to leave when you are.” Nathalie answered.

“Perfect, thank you, Nathalie.” Gabriel nodded his head to Nathalie before passing by her, not sparing her a second glance. Nathalie sighed moments after he closed the front doors behind himself, leaving her on her lonesome. Nathalie rubbed her eye underneath her glasses, dragging her hand down her face. 

“Nathalie?” Adrien’s voice echoed from the top of the stairs. Nathalie snapped to attention, her hands falling to her sides. “Are you okay?” He asked, walking down towards her. 

“Yes, apologies, Adrien.” Nathalie turned her tablet back on, pulling open Adrien’s schedule. “Your father wishes for you to attend a press meeting with him after school today. Your driver will pick you up as usual.” 

“That’s all? No photoshoot, or lessons today?” Adrien’s eyebrows raised in surprise.

“No, you are free after the press meeting.” Nathalie turned her tablet off and dropped her hands at her sides again. “Enjoy your day at school, Adrien.” Nathalie nodded to him as he passed. 

“Thank you, Nathalie.” Adrien smiled wide, clearly excited about his mostly free afternoon. Nathalie gave him a thin, small smile in return as he made his way out. Once she heard the doors click shut again, she turned on her heels and made her way to Gabriel’s office. 

“Where are you going?” Duusu asked, floating out gently from Nathalie’s coat. She frowned, looking slightly distressed. 

“I’m just doing a few errands around the mansion.” Nathalie walked forward a few steps before feeling her legs shake and begin to give out. She found herself collapsed in a chair, staring up at the ceiling. 

“Nathalie?” Duusu hovered around Nathalie’s head. “What’s wrong?” 

“I feel weak right now. That is all.” Nathalie replied. 

“Is it because of me?” Duusu froze in the air, staring vacantly at Nathalie. “Am I no longer... enough?” 

“I don’t know, Duusu.” Nathalie said, not having it in her to lie. “I don’t know how to stop this. It gets worse no matter what I do-” A sharp vibrating noise interrupted Nathalie. She glanced to her left to see Duusu shaking, her eyes clamped shut. “Duusu?” 

“I’m not the problem.” Duusu said quietly. “I’m...” Her eyes popped open, a pink blush covered her cheeks. “I’m not the problem!” She nearly screamed. “I didn’t hurt you. I didn’t hurt her, I didn’t-” 

“I hope you’ll forgive me, Duusu. We need to take a moment apart.” Nathalie shut her eyes, having trouble tracking Duusu’s frantic motions. “Duusu, I renounce you.” Nathalie heard a moment of protest before feeling Duusu entering the brooch. She unpinned it from her lapel and placed it on the end table beside her. Nathalie ignored the nagging voice in her head speaking of how upset Duusu will be, and how much she needed Duusu. Shakily standing up, Nathalie made her way to the painting behind Gabriel’s podium. 

She followed the motions she had seen Gabriel perform many times before and opened the floor elevator to the basement. It was a struggle to keep herself standing as the elevator descended, and an even bigger struggle to walk the thin walkway towards the lush area filled with trees and bushes. 

Nathalie came to a stop before the clear coffin containing Emilie Agreste, her eyes closed peacefully. The thought of Duusu seeing this, or even being aware of Emilie’s condition made up for the wrath she would later have to endure when she re-wielded the brooch. Her hand grazed over the glass, feeling a rush of emotions run through her. Emilie’s eyes were shut softly, as if she were sleeping peacefully. Pursing her lips, Nathalie watched as Emilie’s chest rose, very slowly, far too slow. 

What Nathalie had come down here for she did not know. It had been a long time since she last saw Emilie’s body, not since she first fell into her current state. Gabriel never brought her down here, and she had never come up with a reason to come down here, especially when she would have to explain it to Gabriel. Seeing as he had only recently starting leaving the mansion and attending meetings in person, she never would have been able to slip down unnoticed. 

But it was different now. Gabriel left the mansion, and Nathalie felt nothing but compelled to visit her old friend. Her eyes drifted towards the cable connecting the coffin to a generator, keeping Emilie in a perfect stasis. If it were to malfunction- or be unplugged- Emilie would peacefully drift away, being none the wiser to what had happened. Her hand pressed onto the glass firmly, her legs needing more and more support the longer she stood. 

Nathalie began to feel guilty for a reason she couldn’t quite place. Coming down here alone, looking at Emilie seemed to restore her sensibility. This was exactly what could happen to her if she wasn’t careful.

And she wasn’t being careful. 

Not in the slightest, in fact. Nathalie was being extremely reckless, she could see that now. All of her actions recently seemed ridiculous looking at it now. Straining herself to keep working, failing to stay away from Duusu, coming down _here_ with potentially malicious intent, and worst of all, kissing Gabriel. While she could acknowledge it was stupid to press her lips against his, she couldn’t bring herself to regret it. 

He had feeling for her (or something to that effect), she was sure of it. He didn’t pull away instantly, and had he not pulled away at all... Nathalie shook her head, pushing the image of her body against Gabriel’s out of mind. She was in the presence of his _wife._ Whether she was conscious or not didn’t affect that. She could now pretty easily place where she believed the guilt stemmed from. He was _married_. Even if he did reciprocate openly, Nathalie would only ever be second place to Emilie. And if- when, not if- she came back? Nathalie didn’t have a clue what would happen in that situation. 

She sighed and turned away, beginning her struggle filled walk across the massive basement to the lift, eager to wield the brooch and regain her strength.


End file.
